Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-6
| The Life of Oyasama |
|---|
| Preface |
| Chapter One |
| The Shrine of Tsukihi (1837–1838) |
| Chapter Two |
| The Early History of Oyasama (1798–1837) |
| Chapter Three |
| On the Way (1838–1852), (1853–1854), (1862–1864) |
| Chapter Four |
| The Place for the Service (1864), (1865–1866) |
| Chapter Five |
| The Salvation Service (1866–1882) |
| Chapter Six |
| The Identification of the Jiba (1869–1873), (Jan–Nov 1874), (Dec 1874), (1875), (1876–1877) |
| Chapter Seven |
| Buds Sprout from Knots (1878–1880), (1881) |
| Chapter Eight |
| Parental Love (pp. 121–124), (pp. 124–131), (pp. 132–137), (pp. 137–146), (pp. 146–157), (pp. 157–165), (pp. 165–168) |
| Chapter Nine |
| The Hardships of Oyasama (Jan–Sep 1882), (Oct–Dec 1882), (Jan–Jun 1883), (Jul–Dec 1883), (1884), (1885), (Jan–Apr 1886),(May–Dec 1886) |
| Chapter Ten |
| The Portals Opened (Jan 1–11, 1887), (Jan 12–13, 1887), (Jan 18–Feb 18, 1887) |
Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-6 presents a portion of the contents of Chapter Eight from The Life of Oyasama as published by Tenrikyo Church Headquarters. The title of the chapter is "Parental Love."
Unlike earlier chapters, Chapter Eight offers little information on Oyasama's life. It mainly functions as a summary of the Ofudesaki.
The content below is equivalent to pages 157 to 165 of the print edition.
Note: The print edition of has been split into seven sections on this wiki due to length of text. The chapter is split as follows:
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-1 (pp. 121–124)
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-2 (pp. 124–131)
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-3 (pp. 132–137)
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-4 (pp. 137–146)
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-5 (pp. 146–157)
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-6 (pp. 157–165)
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-7 (pp. 165–169)
Text
Truth of Origin
Oyasama, hastening the completion of the Service in this way, taught the truth of creation in accordance with the spiritual growth of the followers, in good order, so that they would easily understand the fundamental principles contained in the Service.
Beginning in part three:
I am God of Origin, who began the human beings of this world. Yet there may be no one who knows Me.
I began to teach My providence in the muddy ocean, and you have come to prosper step by step.
Here, for the first time, is recorded the beginning of human creation. Continuing in part four:
The beginning of this world was a muddy ocean. Therein were only loaches.
What do you think these loaches were? They were the very seeds of human beings.
God drew them up and consumed them all, and through providence brought them up into human beings step by step.
From that time on, God's providence has been by no means an easy matter.
Do not think of this talk as being trivial. I desire to save all people in the world.
Because of the Parent's desire to save all humankind, the creation of human beings and the world is revealed. And in part six, because of the desire to convince followers of the truths of the Service, the truth of creation is traced back to the beginning:
I shall begin to tell you solely of that which had never existed before, and teach you the Service for universal salvation.
Among the ten performers of this Service, there are those who take the role of the Parent of the beginnings of origin.
I drew forth Izanagi and Izanami and taught them the providence of how to begin human beings.
At the origin were a fish and a serpent in the muddy ocean. I drew them up and began the first couple.
Here, the origin of the ten performers of the Service is revealed.
In the beginnings of origin, this world was a muddy ocean. Therein were only loaches.
Among them were a fish and a serpent. Looking closely, I saw that they had human faces.
Seeing this, an idea came to none other than the sincere mind of Tsukihi.
If I should add instruments to them and teach them My providence step by step,
These instruments being Kunisazuchi and Tsukiyomi, if I should put them into their bodies,
And call together Kumoyomi, Kashikone, Otonobe, and Taishokuten,
Then, after holding counsel, God came to the firm decision to begin this world.
Since that time, the providence of God has been by no means an easy matter.
In the beginning, this world was a muddy ocean where only Tsukihi, God the Parent, dwelled. Now God the Parent thought that living alone in such a muddy ocean was indeed tasteless. There, the thought arose: to make creatures called human beings, and by seeing their Joyous Life, God the Parent, also, would rejoice. Then God observed the muddy ocean carefully and first discovered a fish and a serpent. Drawing them forth, God discerned their single-heartedness. Then God obtained their consent to be used for human creation and received them, promising that when the years equal to the number of their first-born had elapsed, God would bring them back to the place of conception, the Residence of Origin, where they would be adored by their posterity, and thus received them.
Further, discovering other creatures usable as instruments, God called them forth, one after another, and after obtaining consent from each, received them and, after consuming them to test the flavor of their minds, used them as instruments and models, and proceeded to create human beings. Then, according to the principle of their functions, God gave to each a sacred name.
I began human beings, taking a fish and a serpent as seed and seedbed.
Tsukihi entered their bodies and taught them the providence step by step.
The number of children was nine hundred million, ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine.
The children were conceived in three days and three nights, and there Izanami stayed for three years and three months.
The first children born were five bu tall and grew taller gradually.
By this providence once taught, the children were conceived in the same body three times.
An orc was put into the fish, and God entered the fish as the spirit of the Moon. This became the model of man, the seed. A turtle was put into the serpent, and God entered the serpent as the spirit of the Sun. This became the model of woman, the seedplot. Then God consumed all the loaches in the muddy ocean and, after testing the flavors of their nature, used them as seeds and, in three days and three nights, at the Jiba of Origin, seeded nine hundred million, ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine children. The mother, after staying at the Residence of Origin for three years and three months, gave birth to all of the children in seventy-five days. These first children were half an inch (5 bu) tall. But they grew taller gradually and, in ninety-nine years, reached a height of three inches (3 sun). After being reborn twice, they grew to three and a half inches (3 sun 5 bu), then to four inches (4 sun). Then they all passed away for rebirth.
Afterward, by the providence of God the Parent, the children were reborn eight thousand and eight times as worms, birds, and beasts. Then they all passed away for rebirth again, except for a she-monkey. She conceived ten human beings at a time, five male and five female, who were born half an inch tall and grew gradually to eight inches (8 sun), to one foot and eight inches (1 shaku 8 sun), and to three feet (3 shaku). During their growth, the muddy ocean began to develop highs and lows, beginning formation. By the time the children grew to be humans five feet (5 shaku) tall, the earth and the heavens, mountains and oceans, everything was complete. The sun and the moon shone brightly in the sky, and the humans, who had swum around in the ocean in search of food, went onto the nearest land to dwell. The nine hundred million and ninety thousand years of life until then were spent in the water.
After going onto land, they received training in wisdom for six thousand years and in letters for three thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years. Then the promised time arrived and the day to reveal the truth of creation dawned. Thus, God taught the reason for beginning the final teaching.
This is the Residence where I began this world. Therein lives the original Parent of human beginnings.
Discerning this, Tsukihi descended from the desire to teach about all matters.
Thus, the soul of the Parent who teaches, is the soul of the mother in human creation, and this place is the Residence of human origin. God the Parent, discerning these affinities to the origin to be true, waited until the fulfillment of the promised time and became openly revealed in this world for the first time. Thus, God taught the fundamental principle for beginning the final teaching for world salvation.
In part eleven, using the truth of creation as the basis, God reveals in greater detail the reasons for beginning the path of world salvation at this time.
The very beginning of this world was at Shoyashiki Village of Yamabe County in Yamato Province.
There, at the place known as the Nakayama Residence, appear instruments of human beginnings.
These instruments are Izanagi, Izanami, Kunisazuchi, and Tsukiyomi.
Discerning this, Tsukihi descended and began preparations to train them in all matters.
In the Residence of Origin, now known as the Nakayama Residence, located in Shoyashiki Village, Yamabe County, Yamato Province, reside those who are charged with the performance of the Service by virtue of their souls. After making certain of this truth, God the Parent descended to train them in all matters.
Continuing in part twelve:
Among the instruments used in the beginning of human beings at this Residence, Izanagi and Izanami,
Tsukiyomi, Kunisazuchi, Kumoyomi, and Kashikone are the primary instruments.
Then, the one called Otonobe is the primary instrument for the crops.
Next, the one called Taishokuten is the scissors of the world.
Thus, calling up the sacred names of the instruments in creation, God indicated to certain individuals in the Residence their connection with the truths to be symbolized in the Service.
In part fourteen:
Everywhere in the world, people are the same: they only have depressed minds.
From now on, firmly replace the mind and become the mind of joyousness.
The reason Tsukihi began human beings was the desire to see you lead a joyous life.
Disclosing that the Joyous Life is indeed the true aim for which this human world was created, God continues in part sixteen:
There is perhaps no one anywhere, still, who knows the origin of human beginnings in this world.
This time, by all means, I wish to teach all of this truth clearly to the entire world.
Listen! This origin is the venerable Kunitokotachi and Omotari.
After looking through the muddy waters, these personages drew a fish and a serpent to them.
The addition of the word "venerable" to the sacred names of Tsukihi, God the Parent, indicates the difference in principle between Tsukihi and the instruments of creation. We can see another example of the warm concern in the parental heart by the way God teaches that Tsukihi is indeed the true Parent.
